InPrincipio IN THE BEGINNING

Semester 2
2008
Volume 19 - No.2
ISSN 1448-076X
Contents
Vice Chancellor’s Report 2
University News
The University 4
Broome Campus 6
Fremantle Campus 8 Professor Celia Hammond
Sydney Campus 10
Feature In this, my first contribution to
Inauguration of 12 In Principio as Vice Chancellor
3rd Vice Chancellor of Notre Dame, I acknowledge,
applaud and thank our Vice
College News Chancellor Emeritus, Dr Peter Tannock,
Arts & Sciences 14 for his extraordinary achievements
Business 15 over the last 16 years at the helm
Education 16 of Notre Dame.
Health Sciences 18 As Peter is fond of noting, when he started
as Vice Chancellor there was no formal
Law 19 inauguration to commemorate his
Medicine 20 appointment, there was no period of
Nursing 21 ‘handover’, Notre Dame occupied less
than a handful of buildings in the West End
Philosophy & Theology 22
of Fremantle, indeed, there were no
Campus Ministry 23 undergraduate students. When I took office
on 1 August 2008, much had changed. The
Student Life 24 University now operates on three campuses
Alumni & Development 26 in Fremantle, Broome and Sydney. Higher
education qualifications are offered in a
variety of disciplines and taught through our
Schools of Arts & Sciences, Business,
Education, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine,
Nursing and Philosophy & Theology.
The total number of students enrolled in the
University in 2008 is 7,336; there are 538
staff on fixed term contracts (and many
more casual and sessional). We have over
5,804 alumni registered on our database
and Notre Dame occupies 48 buildings over
its three campuses and is undertaking
significant capital works on all three campuses
over the next two years. Notre Dame has
increasingly been recognised by
Governments over the years and now offers
a significant number of Commonwealth
Supported Places in Teacher Education,
Nursing, Medicine, and on our Broome
Campus. We have also received significant
capital funding from the Federal Government
Front Cover: Entrance to the Carolyn Tannock Courtyard. and access to low interest loans from the
Western Australian State Government.

In September 2008 Mrs Carolyn Tannock, wife of Dr Peter This is a quantitative snapshot of Peter’s
Tannock retiring Vice Chancellor, was acknowledged for achievements over the past 16 years at
her long-standing support of the University with the
naming of the Carolyn Tannock Courtyard. Notre Dame. However, all those who have

Vice
Chancellor’s
Report
Professor Celia Hammond meeting Pope Benedict XVl.
had any association with the University will
know that it cannot be measured or
understood solely by reference to statistics
or numbers. No comparators or
benchmarking activities will identify the
essence or character of Notre Dame or
accurately describe the legacy left by Peter.
Notre Dame is proudly a Catholic university
– one of only two in Australia, but part of a
much larger worldwide tradition. Its Objects
clearly articulated in the Act of Parliament,
are to provide higher education in a context
of Catholic faith and values. The Notre
Dame that Peter has built seeks to be an
environment in which teaching, learning,
scholarship and research can be pursued in
such a way that all who are associated with
it are encouraged to seek understanding, to
seek wisdom, to seek to serve, to seek to
live in a way that fulfils everyone’s higher
purpose. This University would not exist
today but for Peter and to him we owe an
enormous debt of gratitude and thanks. It
was very pleasing to witness in September,
the bestowal of a papal knighthood on
Peter in recognition of his work and service.
Taking on the role of Vice Chancellor after
Peter is somewhat daunting. However, as I
have remarked before, I could not and will
not try to ‘fill Peter’s shoes’. Peter’s role was
to find the soil in which to plant the Notre
Dame seed, to make it take root and start to
grow. This he achieved. Now it is time, and
is my role, to nurture and strengthen the
growing vine; to let it bury its roots deeper
and let its stalks and stems thicken.
How to do this is the exciting challenge
I face. Clearly I cannot do it on my own.
My intention is to use and nurture the
many talents of the great staff who work at
Notre Dame and to look to bringing
additional quality people on board as we
continue to grow.
The staff we have are the heart and soul of
the institution. I cannot overstate their
value. I want to encourage them to
continue to strive for excellence in their
3
I VICE CHANCELLOR’S REPORT
scholarship and teaching. I want them to be
mentors and dynamic role models to their
students. I look to recruiting students who
want to challenge themselves to achieve;
who set themselves the highest standard of
achievement and who aren’t afraid of
goodness and kindness.
Two weeks before I commenced as Vice
Chancellor I had the privilege of meeting
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at our
Darlinghurst site. It was a very special and
inspiring occasion. The way forward is clear:
to follow Christ. I pray for the courage and
faith to do so as I lead Notre Dame into
the future.
4 I UNIVERSITY NEWS
THE
University
A Personal Reflection
The Deputy Chancellor on The challenge to conscience
Last month the Victorian Parliament
legalised abortion, and in doing so
required doctors who had a
conscientious objection to
themselves performing abortions to
refer the patient to another doctor
who would perform the abortion.
The intention of the section is to
ensure that, where a woman seeks
advice from a doctor who has a
conscientious objection to abortion,
she will be referred promptly to
another doctor able to assist her.
Before this section was enacted by the
Victorian Parliament, it was the subject of
intense and widespread criticism from
within the medical profession and by the
churches. Sadly, some of the more
prominent exponents of the law of human
rights were silent or indeed supporters of
this proposal.
The recent origins of this move can be
seen in an article in 2006 in the British
Medical Journal by Professor Julian
Savulescu from Oxford University, formerly
of Melbourne. “The doctor’s conscience
has little place in the delivery of modern
medical care… If people are not prepared
to offer legally-permitted, efficient, and
beneficial care to a patient because it
conflicts with their values, they should not
be doctors.”
This proposition contradicts the Code of
Ethics of the Australian Medical
Association which expressly recognises the
right to freedom of conscience of medical
practitioners. It also contradicts the central
principle of political liberty which says that
we should give the widest possible scope
to individuals to refrain from performing
actions to which they have ethical
objection. It is difficult to see in the
context of the Victorian legislation why
there was any compelling reason not to
have recognised this right of conscience.
This development is not limited to
Australia. In England the Catholic Church
has found itself at odds with government
legislation about adoption by gay couples
and referrals for abortion by doctors in
Catholic hospitals under the National
Health Service.
The debate as to the right and wrong of
the abortion legislation and adoption
rights has overwhelmed the further
question of conscientious objection.
Whereas the substantive issue is of course
paramount, it seems to me that the
subsidiary issue of conscientious objection
will form an ever more important issue for
those working in the health care system
whose ethical integrity will be increasingly
under attack. The task of a university such
as Notre Dame is to marshall the arguments
and deploy them in the public forum well
in advance of the next proposal further to
restrict clinicians’ freedom of conscience.
Mr Terry Tobin QC
Dr Michael Quinlan and Mr Terry Tobin QC.
Appointment of
New Chancellor and
Deputy Chancellor
The Hon Justice Neville Owen
resigned from his position as
Chancellor due to work
commitments. The Trustees
accepted his resignation with very
deep regret and expressed their
appreciation and admiration for
the great job he had done.
In his statement to the Trustees,
Justice Owen expressed his continuing
commitment to the goals and ideals of
the University. He will remain closely
involved as a Trustee and a Governor.
Dr Peter Tannock said, “Neville Owen
has been an outstanding Chancellor of
Notre Dame. He has been an excellent
Board Chairman and leader of the
governance structure of the University.”
The Trustees appointed the Acting
Chancellor, Dr Michael Quinlan,
as Chancellor from 1 July 2008 for a
term of eighteen months.
Dr Quinlan is one of the University’s
founding fathers and has been a Trustee
of the University since its inception. He
was appointed Deputy Chancellor in
2006. He was pivotal in establishing the
College of Health and the Fremantle
School of Medicine.
Dr Quinlan has had a most distinguished
career as one of Western Australia’s
leading physicians and as a Clinical
Professor of Medicine at The University of
Western Australia as well as Professor of
Medicine at Notre Dame.
In July the Board of Trustees announced
the appointment of Sydney Trustee,
Mr T K Tobin QC, as the new
Deputy Chancellor.
Mr Tobin was appointed a Trustee of
Notre Dame at the beginning of 2005
and was part of the foundation of the
Sydney Campus.
He is a Queen’s Counsel in New South
Wales, and in recent years has also
practised extensively in Western Australia.
He has been a great supporter of
the University.
 World Youth Day 08 supported by all campuses
The world was watching Australia in July this year when World Youth Day
2008 (WYD08), the largest youth event in the world, was hosted in Sydney.
More than 400,000 people took part in
WYD08 events from 15-20 July. WYD08
hosted by the Catholic Church, but open
to all, marked the first visit to Australia by
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
WYD08 provided students with the
opportunity to participate in many of the
WYD08 events including an amazing
‘sleepout’ which saw over 200,000
Catholic pilgrims camping under the stars
at the chilly Randwick racecourse.
Staff were also involved in the pilgrimage
and the events in Sydney. A unique
opportunity was provided for Broome
Campus Indigenous research assistant,
Ms Erica Spry when she was invited to be
one of four keynote speakers to lecture at
the Catholic Earthcare Australia’s,
Caring for God’s Creation seminar, during
the celebrations.
Ms Spry, a Bardi woman from the Dampier
Peninsula north of Broome, related her life
1 “These programs are comprehensive with
2
1. Ms Erica Spry speaking at Caring for God’s Creation seminar.
2. WYD08 gathering at the Broadway site.
growing up as an Aboriginal Catholic and
discussed how both her traditional culture
and her Catholic teachings encouraged her
to respect all of God’s creation.
Providing a location to display the relics of
the ‘Patron Saint-in-waiting’ of WYD08
was another contribution by Notre Dame.
The casket containing the remains of the
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was convoyed
from Turin, Italy for WYD08, and were
displayed in St Benedict’s Parish Church on
the Broadway site.
Blessed Pier Giorgio was a young Italian
man who, despite his relatively privileged
background, assisted underprivileged
people. He is seen as a special patron of
youth because he combined his enjoyment
of life and sports with strong faith, serious
charity and commitment to social justice.
Pier Giorgio died of polio at 24 and was
beatified in 1990.
5
I THE UNIVERSITY
Notre Dame’s
education and nursing
degrees winners in
latest round of
Government funding
The University’s Schools of Education
and Nursing have been successful
in receiving new Commonwealth
supported higher education places
in the national priority areas of
teaching and nursing.
The places, which will commence in
2009, were allocated by the Minister for
Education, the Honourable Julia Gillard
MP, under the Australian Government’s
2008-09 budget initiative.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Celia
Hammond said she was delighted with
the announcement.
“Notre Dame has built a reputation for
providing quality clinical and practicum
opportunities for students.
the aim to expose students to a wide
variety of industry experiences which we
have been able to offer due to our strong
relationship with our health care and
education partners, both in the private
and public sectors.
“The excellent education and experience
our students receive, coupled with the
broad educational foundation offered at
Notre Dame has seen our graduate
nurses and teachers being in high
demand with employers.
“We are very grateful to the Federal
Government for the additional places and
look forward to the opportunities they
provide for future Notre Dame students.”
Emeritus
Professorships awarded
During second semester,
Vice Chancellor Celia Hammond
announced on behalf of the
Trustees of the University the
bestowal of two Emeritus titles.
The first was awarded to the Vice
Chancellor Emeritus, Dr Peter Tannock,
who had led the University for 16 years.
Dr Tannock retired in July.
The second was awarded to retired
Professor of Nursing, Doreen McCarthy at
the University’s inaugural School of Nursing
Oration on Monday 7 October 2008.
Professor McCarthy retired in 2004 from
the position of Foundation Head of the
School of Nursing.
6 I UNIVERSITY NEWS
BRoome
Celebrating success
The University’s new Vice Chancellor,
Professor Celia Hammond, officiated
at graduation for the first time in
August when the Broome Campus
held its annual Graduation Ceremony.
Over 200 family and friends of the
graduating group gathered in the
Campus grounds to share in the
graduands’ celebrations.
The Ceremony included the awarding of
testamurs to graduates from the Schools of
Business, Education and Nursing. In addition
Certificates and Diplomas were awarded in
Aboriginal Studies, Teacher Assistant
(Indigenous) and Enrolled Nursing.
Valedictorian Katherine Corkill addressed
the students, staff and visitors and spoke
of her memories of her time studying the
Bachelor of Nursing. On behalf of the
graduands she expressed thanks to all those
who had supported them in their studies.
Katherine spent time at Meekatharra,
Three Springs and Carnarvon as part of
her clinical rotation in the nursing degree.
In the future she hopes to move on to
study Medicine.
Among the Vocational Education and
Training graduates was Cindy Murray, the
first Enrolled Nursing graduate. Cindy is
now employed at Kununurra Hospital. She
told staff that she was proud to have
achieved her goal and was enjoying her
role as an Enrolled Nurse.
The Most Reverend Christopher Saunders,
Bishop of Broome led the gathering in the
Graduation Prayer. This was followed by
the Occasional Address given by
Dr Peter Tannock, the Vice Chancellor
Emeritus. Dr Tannock spoke of the
development of Catholic education in the
Kimberley and his hopes for the future. He
remarked on the importance of having a
university campus in the region and Notre
Dame’s commitment to providing quality
university education to students in a
remote location.
National seminar series
examined Indigenous
public policy
During Semester 2 the Broome
Campus participated in a national
seminar series examining Indigenous
public policy. The series entitled:
Indigenous Public Policy: Responses
from the Ground, was concerned
with Indigenous affairs policy during
the period of the Howard coalition
government. In particular, it focused
on the major changes to Indigenous
affairs administration with the
abolition of ATSIC in 2004, leading
up to the Federal Intervention into
Indigenous communities in the
Northern Territory in 2007.
The series was coordinated between the
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Canberra,
and Charles Darwin University (CDU).
It involved high profile presenters in
Canberra and Darwin including Human
Rights and Equal Opportunity Social Justice
Commissioner, Mr Tom Calma; Queensland
Liberal Party President, Mr Mal Brough and
NSW Aboriginal Housing Office Chief
Executive Officer, Mr Russell Taylor.
Video conferencing technology was utilised
to allow audiences in Broome, Alice Springs,
Darwin and Canberra to participate in the
event in real time and also to contribute to
the question and answer sessions at the
end of each one hour seminar.
Mr Steven Kinnane, researcher with the
University’s Nulungu Centre for Indigenous
Studies, said the series allowed local and
regional groups to engage directly with
key individuals and organisations that
have, and are affecting Aboriginal policy
on the national scale.
“These are the individuals who have been
responsible for decisions that were made
thousands of miles from the Kimberley
that have directly impacted on Kimberley
Aboriginal communities,” Mr Kinnane said.
“Using the resources of Notre Dame we
are giving people the opportunity to hear
from key individuals involved in this
important arena, to ask questions and
participate in much needed debate.”
Inaugural
Nulungu lecture
Following the opening and official
naming of the Nulungu Centre for
Indigenous Studies, the inaugural
Nulungu lecture was delivered by
Professor Patrick Dodson. Often
referred to as the ‘Father of
Reconciliation’. The lecture will be
an annual event on the Broome
Campus.
In his speech, Professor Dodson said the
nation would be enhanced by the full and
proper recognition and protection of its
Indigenous cultures and argued for a
courageous dialogue on constitutional
recognition beyond changes to the preamble.
"We can bicker for another century as to
whether Nugget Coombs was right or Sir
Paul Hasluck really had the solutions to the
health and well-being of Indigenous people,
but this futile battle of ideologies will not
improve the life of one single Aboriginal
child, will not lower the percentages of
Aboriginal people residing in our nation's
jails and quite frankly will not assist
Twiggy Forrest find 50,000 jobs," he said.
Professor Dodson said the Federal
Government's apology to the Stolen
Generations in February had drawn ‘a line
in the sand’ and he believed the nation had
moved into a ‘post-reconciliation period’.
He also backed an Indigenous bill of rights,
and said Australia's failure to ratify the UN
Declaration on Indigenous Rights had left
Australia as a ‘pariah on the world stage’.
Urging a courageous re-writing of the
constitution, he said: "The nation will be
enhanced by the constitutional recognition
it accords Indigenous peoples because
governments need to be made accountable
in their dealings with Aboriginal peoples.
"They need to justly and constructively
engage via negotiation on the alleviation
of the disastrous health, education and
social ills bedevilling Indigenous
Australians and embark courageously in
dialogue on constitutional recognition
beyond a preamble."
He said Indigenous people needed to be
able to participate fully in the economic
life of the nation while being assured that
they have not had to surrender their
identity and cultural ways in the process.
Professor Patrick Dodson is a lecturer for
the School of Arts and Sciences on the
Broome Campus.
 MOU promotes
academic extension
program for Broome
secondary students
An academic extension program
aimed at assisting Year 11 and 12
students from Broome’s two high
schools began in July after a
Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) was signed between the
Broome Campus, the Catholic
Education Office and the Western
Australian State Government.
WA’s then State Minister for Education
and Training, the Honourable Mark
McGowan, visited the Broome Campus
to sign off on the agreement and
officially announce the beginning of
the 18 month trial.
The project will provide high achieving
students from Broome Senior High
School and St Mary’s Secondary College,
Broome, with additional academic training.
The students will have access to
workshops and curriculum experts in the
areas of career and academic counselling,
English, science and mathematics.
The Broome Campus will host many of the
activities scheduled and Mr McGowan said
the link with the Campus would provide a
‘rigorous academic influence’ to the program.
Assistant Dean of Education, Broome,
Ms Amanda McCubbin, will represent the
University on the management committee.
The committee will also include
representatives from the Department of
Education and Training and the Catholic
Education Office.
“This project is a significant development
that offers opportunity and incentive for
promising Broome secondary students.
We are pleased to collaborate in this
exciting joint venture,” said Deputy Vice
Chancellor, Broome, Sr Sonia Wagner sgs.
2 3
Remote community visit helps to promote VET
Three Broome Campus representatives
visited the Yungngora Community on
Nookanbah Station, 170 kilometres
south west of the remote town of
Fitzroy Crossing, to participate in
the Careers Awareness Festival
earlier in the year.
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
manager, Terri Hughes, nursing lecturer,
Sandy Williams and 2nd year nursing student,
Elise Kerr, journeyed to the community to
promote careers in health and education
to students from schools across the
Fitzroy Valley, including Yungngora’s own
Kulkarriya Community School.
The students learned about employment
and training opportunities from a variety of
organisations. The Broome Campus group
discussed the VET programs available at
the Campus. Ms Williams and Ms Kerr
used their nursing backgrounds to give the
children some practical hints on health
combining it with the fun activity of
listening to their heart beat.
1
7
I BROOME
The Broome Campus VET courses currently
have students enrolled from communities
across the Kimberley. Many of the students
recognised family members in the graduation
photographs on display and it is hoped
some of the students who participated in
the festival will one day follow in their
relatives’ footsteps and study at Notre Dame.
Ms Williams said many of the older
students were already familiar with the
Broome Campus and were interested in
the VET Teacher Assistant courses.
The visitors were treated to a barbecue
dinner and concert in the evening and
visited some of the station’s woolsheds.
Local celebrity Mary G also provided
entertainment on the night. The group
camped overnight before making the four
and a half hour journey home.
“It was awesome. We had a great time.
The whole community was fantastic and
it was good to see the children having
such fun,” Ms Williams said.
1. 2nd year nursing student, Elise Kerr
practising some of her skills with
children at Nookanbah.
2. Professor Patrick Dodson
Leon Mead Photography
3. After signing the MOU
Director of Catholic Education, Mr Ron
Dullard; St Mary’s College Principal, Mr
Tony Treacy; Deputy Vice Chancellor,
Broome, Sr Sonia Wagner sgs; St
Mary’s College student, Matthew
Wellington; Broome Senior High
School students, Nan Isramongkonpan
and Emily Hull; St Mary’s College
student, Domitilla Pioli; then State
Minister for Education and Training,
Hon Mark McGowan; Kimberley MLA,
Mrs Carol Martin and Broome Senior
High School, Deputy Principal, Upper
School, Mrs Stella Jinman.
8 I UNIVERSITY NEWS

FREMANTle
Vale Anthony brings with it a certain sharpness of mind, cutting straight through
a lot of the nonsense that can hinder the onset of real wisdom.
Imbrosciano The puzzle suddenly resolves itself, where previously no
(1959 – 2008) breakthrough really seemed possible.

The University’s Fremantle So what really is important?

Campus was saddened by the
loss of much loved philosophy
lecturer, Dr Anthony
Imbrosciano this year.
Anthony worked in the School of Philosophy and
Theology for seven years. In 2004 he was presented the
Notre Dame Student Association’s Outstanding Lecturer
Award in recognition of his positive influence on
students throughout their studies.
Anthony and his wife wrote his eulogy before he died. Below is
an excerpt:
In the past 12 months, I have faced a series of major health crises.
A diagnosis of oesophageal cancer, a major operation which I was
fortunate to even survive, months of chemotherapy, and finally the
news that the cancer has metastasised and the illness is now terminal.
Given that I have an inherently philosophical temperament and am
naturally disposed to reflect deeply on issues of life and death
anyway, it is no surprise that a question such as “What’s really
important in life” has become so prominent in my mind. It is
actually a question that has been with me for many years prior to
my illness, but for obvious reasons has placed itself before me as
never before. I write this short reflection, therefore, as a way of
summarising what I have learned, and where I have come to.
It is quite amazing how a major existential crisis can force ideas
to crystallise at an extraordinary pace. It is as if the gift of crisis
1. Being reconciled with God (where God is: that conglomerate of
energies which are constantly at work to produce this very
moment). Accepting God’s will, being at peace with God’s will
in every moment.
2. Relationships – having at least some high quality depth
relationship throughout one’s life. By this I mean Martin Buber’s
“I-Thou” type of relationship, where one sees the Other in all
their uniqueness and individuality, with no taint of
objectification, superficiality or self interest.
3. To have trodden lightly in this world, leaving soft footprints
behind. That is, having a clear conscience, to have left as little
hurt in the world as possible.
4. Maturity. By this I mean to be truly Other-conscious. To have
empathy, compassion, alterity, reverence for life.
5. Appreciation & Gratitude. Appreciation has the double meaning
of “awareness” and “gratitude”. To have one’s eyes open, to have
awareness for the beauty and goodness in this world, and an
awareness of the gifts that even suffering can bring.
Gratitude…for everything…including pain and suffering.
6. Having absolutely no sense of “entitlement”.
7. Lastly, Grace! The realisation that it is all gift. We are held from
moment to moment by grace alone. That everything is pure gift.”
The University was blessed to have the gift of Anthony on
the staff. We are very grateful for that and will miss him.

Seven 5-star ratings two years in a row

The release of the 2009 edition of the Good Universities Guide to
Australian Universities and Private Colleges has seen Notre Dame
awarded seven 5-star ratings for the second year in a row.
The guide, now in its 17th edition, rates a university’s performance on a broad range
of indicators.
Notre Dame was highlighted as a top university performer for ‘overall educational
experience’, scoring five stars for areas including: Teaching Quality, Graduate Satisfaction,
Employment Prospects, Entry Flexibility, Positive Graduate Outcomes and Generic Skills.
Notre Dame has over 7,000 students on its campuses in Fremantle, Sydney and Broome.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Celia Hammond, said she was delighted with the
ratings the University received from this influential publication. She said that these
ratings were largely due to the outstanding and committed staff.
“The results reflect Notre Dame’s very strong commitment to pastoral care and the
value we place on each individual student.”
 9

Prestigious Menzies Scholarship awarded to Fremantle staff member

Physiotherapy
Clinical Coordinator
and Senior Lecturer,
Ms Anne-Marie Hill
has been awarded
the Sir Robert
Menzies Allied
Health Sciences
Scholarship for her PhD research
studies. She is completing her PhD
through the School of Health and
Rehabilitation Sciences at The
University of Queensland under the
supervision of Dr Terry Haines.
The prestigious research scholarship, which
is valued at $25,000 per annum for each
of two years, is open to graduates in any
of the health sciences who have enrolled
for a PhD in an Australian University and
who have completed the first stage of
their doctoral program.
The purpose of the scholarship is to try to
improve the health of Australians by
supporting an outstanding applicant from one
of the non-medical allied health disciplines
whose research is likely to fall outside the
conventional areas of medical research.
Ms Hill holds the degree of Master of
Physiotherapy from Curtin University of
Technology and the Graduate Certificate in
University Teaching from Notre Dame. Her
PhD project is entitled: The role of patient
education in prevention of in-hospital falls
in the older population.
I FREMANTLE
Associate Dean of Health Sciences, Professor
Peter Hamer said that being awarded the
Menzies Scholarship from a field of 25
candidates is an excellent achievement.
“Anne-Marie joins the ranks of past
Menzies Scholars of the ilk of Professor
Paul Hodges, Dr Julie Hides, and a host of
other leaders and contributors to the Allied
Health professions.”
Ms Hill said, “I feel extremely honoured to
be supported in my research by the Menzies
Foundation. I also thank all my colleagues
at The University of Notre Dame Australia
in Fremantle who have supported me to
this point in my career.”

Public lecture by US Consul General
United States of America Consul General, Dr Kenneth
Chern, was invited by the School of Law to deliver a
public lecture on the Fremantle Campus in August.
His talk entitled: Promoting Security, Democracy, Human Rights
and Prosperity in Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions was well
received by the audience which included Fremantle Mayor Peter
Tagliaferri, senior staff, students and members of the community.
Dr Chern has had first-hand experience of US-East Asian relations.
His immediate prior assignment was as Deputy Consul General in
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; before that he served as Deputy
Director of the Office of Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and
Singapore Affairs at the US Department of State. He also taught
History for ten years at The University of Hong Kong, published a
book and numerous articles on US-East Asian relations, and
researched and presented a seven-week television series on
twentieth century China.
In his lecture he spoke of the growing importance of the Asia
Pacific region to Western Australia and in particular, the growing
economic political and cultural influence of China in Asia and beyond.
“China is steadily and inexorably building its economic structure,
external trading relations and political/cultural influence,”
he explained.
“There is nothing wrong with that. In fact it is to be welcomed
that China engages productively and positively in South East Asia
and countries beyond.
“It is US policy to engage China positively, to encourage China’s
development in a way that facilitates positive, productive ties.
“We shouldn’t be afraid to cooperate with China in South East
Asia and beyond, in terms of economic, cultural and
security cooperation. We also need to advance our own practices
and values of freedom of expression and of the press, and the
rights of people to change governments democratically.”
Dr Chern concluded his lecture by noting that educational
exchange can be very important and could provide an important
opportunity for building relationships between countries.
“China has become an increasingly attractive destination for
students from South East Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia
and Singapore. It is important for both the US and Australia and
other Western societies to also reach out to Asia on a cultural and
educational front.”

Dr Chern with Professor David Malcolm; Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri; Mr Ben Clarke; students, Rohallah Haidari, Chloe Donjerkovich, Claire Egan and Elizabeth Henderson.
10 I UNIVERSITY NEWS

SYDNEY Collaboration to
establish academic
centre in palliative care
The Sydney Campus has joined with
The University of New South Wales
(UNSW) to help establish a
multidisciplinary academic centre
in palliative care.
The recently launched facility, The
Cunningham Centre is named in honour of
Sister Mary Ann Cunningham (Sister Xavier
rsc) who opened Australia’s first hospice in
1890 and was Australia’s first Sister of
Charity. It will be supported by St Vincents
and Mater Health Sydney (SV&MHS),
Calvary Health Care, Sydney and the NSW
Cancer Institute and will be based at the
Sacred Heart Hospice, Darlinghurst, Sydney.
The aim of the Centre is to foster research,
education, academic leadership and quality
service in palliative care. It is a multi-area
health service initiative that includes
Nurses, Doctors, Allied Health professionals
and academics.

Builders win awards

The University’s builder for the
development of the medical and
Dr Peter Tannock, Father Edward A Malloy CSC and Cardinal George Pell.
nursing schools at the Darlinghurst
site has won two Excellence in
Blessing and Official Opening of Darlinghurst site Construction Awards from the Master
Builders Association (MBA) of NSW.
and School of Medicine Equiset won awards for best tertiary
The University celebrated the Blessing and Official Opening of its education building and for best use of bricks.
Managing director Lorenz Grollo accepted
Darlinghurst site and the School of Medicine in Sydney on Sunday 13 July
the awards on behalf of the Equiset team
2008. The new state-of-the-art facilities, which have been purpose built for
at the MBA’s annual presentation.
the University’s Schools of Medicine and Nursing, are located directly
Notre Dame’s Architect Marcus Collins said,
opposite St Vincent’s Hospital.
“Equiset has every reason to be proud of
Supporters of the University travelled from overseas and around Australia for the event which the constructed outcome of this important
was held in the restored historic Sacred Heart Church. His Eminence, Cardinal George Pell education and heritage complex. I know
AC, Archbishop of Sydney, blessed the new facility, and Father Edward A Malloy CSC, from my 30 years’ experience as both a
President Emeritus, University of Notre Dame, USA, and Trustee of the University, heritage and an educational architect that
formally opened it. no previous project has contained, on one
His Eminence Cardinal George Pell congratulated the University on the new Darlinghurst site. site, such a wide diversity of construction
requirements.”
“The University has built a superb new facility for educating doctors and nurses and for
supporting university medical research. The $20 million-plus project involved the
construction of a new seven-level brick
“It has also made ingenious use of the existing parish buildings for teaching and
administration and academic building for
administrative purposes,” said Cardinal Pell.
the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and
Then Vice Chancellor, Dr Peter Tannock said, “This is a great day for the students and their the restoration of the Sacred Heart Church
families and for this new university in Sydney. The Darlinghurst site is a beautiful and complex, integrated with the adjacent St
historic facility which will do much to enhance the quality of the medical education to be Vincent’s Hospital on the corner of
provided by the University.” Darlinghurst Road and Victoria Street.
 1. Pope Benedict XVI meets Sydney students. 11

I SYDNEY
2. Mother Superior, Sr Agnus with WYD08 coordinator, the
Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney
and Adjunct Professor of Moral Theology and Bioethics.

Pope Benedict XVI

visits Darlinghurst
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI visited
the Darlinghurst site on Friday 18 July.
He met with local young people at
risk of alcohol and substance abuse,
victims of homelessness and other
forms of disadvantage.
Pope Benedict entered Notre Dame through
the medical library, which has been
renamed the Pope Benedict XVI Medical
1
Library in honour of the Holy Father’s visit.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Celia Hammond
said, “Naming the medical library after
Pope Benedict XVI was just a small
gesture for having received the great
honour of his visit.”
Whilst in the library he inspected the
plaque naming the library and greeted a
small group of Notre Dame pilgrims.
One staff member who met the Pope,
Anusha Jebanasam, said that the Pontiff
made an intimate connection with the
Notre Dame pilgrims.
“We were deeply humbled by the
presence of His Holiness as he took 2
time to bless each of us. Pope Benedict
radiated warmth and holiness and was Love and Life brought to Broadway
genuinely delighted to encounter
students and staff as he entered the During World Youth Day 2008 Every morning hundreds of pilgrims
medical library named in his honour.” (WYD08) 50 nuns from the where led by the Sisters in catechesis
The Pope then entered the Sacred Heart Sisters of Life congregation from and in the afternoon they held Love and
Church, which is located within the New York City were based at the Life workshops.
Campus, to meet the young people invited Broadway site. The Sisters spent a For the Youth Fest the Sisters organised a
as guests of the University, Centacare and week at the Campus transforming large street party and concert. Pilgrims
the Catholic Education Office, Sydney. it into an official Love and Life site filled the University’s courtyard to hear
Two young people spoke in moving during the WYD08 festivities. what the Sisters had to say about life,
testimonies before the Pope. His Holiness family and marriage and to listen to the
The Sisters of Life are a religious
responded with an address and led the popular American Christian rock group,
community of women from the USA,
congregation in prayer. The Matt Maher Band.
who devote their time and efforts to the
As well as the library dedication, the protection and enhancement of human Sister Mary Elizabeth from the Sisters of
School of Medicine and Centacare are life. They are internationally admired for Life said they were all extremely happy to
working collaboratively to provide a new their work on life, family and marriage. be working with the University during such
service called Alive+ in honour of the Holy a momentous occasion.
They are also well known for their Holy
Father’s visit. Respite Centre, a place where women can "We are so happy Notre Dame provided
Executive Dean of the School of Medicine, come and stay and be cared for during the ideal venue to welcome pilgrims from
Professor Julie Quinlivan, said the new and after their pregnancy. The Centre is around the world at the WYD08 Love and
program aims to help young people designed to serve those women most Life site. Large numbers of youth joined us
disadvantaged by drugs, alcohol, vulnerable to the pressure of abortion. on Campus each day for numerous events.
mental health problems and poverty. During the Sisters’ stay at Notre Dame “The week we spent at the University was
“This provision of an integrated service will thousands of pilgrims from all over the filled with so much fun and spiritual
offer social work, education and advocacy world visited the Broadway site. awareness. We had catechesis, adoration
support in a single centre. It is the first of its The Sisters turned the University into a of the Blessed Sacrament and talks by
kind in Sydney and will be a lasting legacy catechetical, spiritual and Youth Fest centre. internationally acclaimed speakers on God’s
of the Papal visit,” said Professor Quinlivan. plan for life and love.”
12 I FEATURE

Inauguration
of 3rd
Vice Chancellor
Professor Celia Hammond • 4 August 2008

At a concelebrated Mass led by Perth’s Catholic

Archbishop Barry Hickey, Professor Celia Hammond was
inaugurated as the third Vice Chancellor of The
University of Notre Dame Australia.
The historical event held on 4 August 2008 was witnessed by over
400 guests including members of the Church, chancellors and vice
chancellors of the other WA universities and friends of the University.
Professor Hammond is a legal practitioner with experience in
private practice in Western Australia. She has held senior leadership,
management and teaching positions at Notre Dame for many years.
His Eminence, George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney,
delivered the homily at the Mass. He said the inauguration was a
time to celebrate a ‘changing of the guard’ with the new chief
executive officer, Celia Hammond.
“We thank God for what has been achieved under the retiring
Vice Chancellor, Dr Peter Tannock. God has blessed this University
and we pray that it may continue.”
In her address, Professor Hammond spoke of not only the
importance of education but also the importance of a context for 1
knowledge and learning.
“I believe that education is one of the most valuable enabling and
empowering opportunities that can be offered to people. However,
knowledge and learning without a context or framework of humanity
is hollow. Knowledge without love and respect is not wisdom.”
“At Notre Dame we are not simply transmitters of information,
creators of knowledge. Our mission will always be to teach and to
educate in an environment that encourages people to seek
understanding, to seek wisdom, to seek to serve, to seek to live in
a way that fulfils everyone’s higher purpose.”
Professor Hammond succeeded Dr Peter Tannock who retired on
July 31 after serving as Vice Chancellor of the University for 16 years.
Archbishop Hickey said, “The handing over of the baton from Dr 1. Procession of: Fr Peter Black, Fr Kevin Long, Mgr Michael Keating, Fr Greg Watson,
Cardinal George Pell, Bishop Gerard Holohan, Archbishop Barry Hickey and servers.
Tannock to Professor Hammond is a reassurance of continuity of
2. Professor Celia Hammond
the purpose and goals of our University.
3. Law graduate, Cate Parsons.
“I have no doubt that the new Vice Chancellor will further the 4. Deputy Vice Chancellors; Professor Mark McKenna, Sr Sonia Wagner sgs and
work of the University in forming leaders in our community who Professor Hayden Ramsay.
will offer their skills for the benefit of society within the context of 5. Law graduate, Meneesha Michalka.
a thoroughly Christian and ethical perspective.” 6. Bishop Gerard Holohan, Archbishop Barry Hickey and Cardinal George Pell.
 I INAUGURATION OF 3RD VICE CHANCELLOR
13
3

5
2

6
14 I COLLEGE NEWS

stunning Alhambra palace and its magical,

Arts & Moorish quarters, the Albayçin.

“The course in Spain enabled students to
study an extraordinary nation and its

SCIENCES people in the country itself,” said Dr Gare.

“Students were confronted with complex
issues they would never have experienced
in a normal classroom, and were
challenged by the stories of war, conquest
and faith which they either read of or
the Napoleonic invasion, and the Civil War
A Spanish adventure for of the 1930s.
confronted in person.
“This is a exceptional opportunity for study
Arts & Sciences students After Madrid the students then toured
within a degree, and demonstrates at its
some of the nation’s most significant
The art of Madrid’s Prado museum, best the diversity of learning experiences
landmarks and cities.
Segovia’s ancient aqueduct and available within Arts and Sciences at
They visited such sites as the world heritage
fairytale castle, and the sunset over Notre Dame.”
listed city of Toledo, once a Moorish
Granada’s magnificent Alhambra capital and medieval centre of the Iberian Sarah Egan, a third year politics student
were some of the many extraordinary peninsula. They climbed to the Civil War from the Sydney Campus, reported that
opportunities seen and shared by a Memorial and Cathedral called the ‘Valley the study tour of Spain was one of the
team of Notre Dame students on a of the Fallen’, a fascist monument best adventures of her life.
recent study tour of Spain. constructed under the reign of General “This trip to Spain...was an amazing
In July, twenty four students from the Franco by prisoners of the Civil War, and experience,” she said. “Being given the
Fremantle and Sydney campuses now the burial place of Franco himself. opportunity of an in-country study with 23
accompanied Dr Deborah Gare, Associate The city walls of Segovia were climbed, other students and then travelling around
Dean of Arts and Sciences in Fremantle, and its Cathedral and castle explored. Spain to see what we had learnt about
for nearly four weeks in Spain. They were Andalucia’s colourful Seville, Cordoba and was incredible.
taking part in a special unit on the history Granada were also both visited, including “It was great to see a culture that is
and politics of Spain. the world-famous Cordoba mosque, so different to ours. I felt it really was
Seville’s Cathedral and the grave of an important part of my wider
The study tour of Spain was part of the
Christopher Columbus, and Granada’s University experience.”
College’s Experience the World program
which has previously taken teams of
students to such locations as New York,
Cambodia and Uganda, and which will be
taking a small team with Caritas Australia
to India in December.
Dr Gare said the course aimed to provide
students with a unique opportunity to
examine the fascinating history and politics
of the Spanish people. Though the history
is long, and the politics complex, Dr Gare
suggests that the story of Spain’s ‘rise and
fall and rise again’ offers many lessons for
the modern west. Key themes studied
during the course included the contest of
faith, the experience of war and conquest,
the intricacies of nationalism and regional
diversity, the ravages of civil war and the
experience and legacy of empire.
Starting in Madrid at the Universidad de
San Louis, students spent two weeks in a
string of intensive classes where they
studied the history of Spain from the time
of the Roman Empire; assessed the
centuries which followed in which
Muslims, Jews and Christians shared space
on the Iberian peninsula; followed the rise
of empire and the reconquest under
Isabella and Ferdinand; and then turned to
the catastrophes of the Spanish Inquisition, Students from the Sydney and Fremantle campuses in the medieval town of Segovia.

BUSINESS
Building relationships in the School of Business
Since very early days in the University's history there has been an important
relationship between the Fremantle School of Business and the Mendoza
College of Business at the prestigious American Catholic university, the
University of Notre Dame du Lac.
Recognised as one of the top business
schools in America, the Mendoza College
sends staff for a semester each year.
Dean of the College, Professor Carolyn Woo
leads a renowned faculty of teachers and
scholars. She is very committed to Notre Dame
Australia and is a Governor of the University.
Executive Dean of Business, Associate
Professor Sonja Bogunovich is very
supportive of the program.
“Whilst the visiting academic program is
continuously evolving, one of the most
significant outcomes of the relationship is
the opportunity for mentoring by staff from
an internationally acclaimed business school.
“I was delighted this year to have the
opportunity to visit Mendoza and meet
with a number of key staff. This program
offers some truly inspiration and exciting
possibilities for our School.”
Along with the visiting academic the
University also welcomes approximately
30 Study Abroad (SA) business students
from Notre Dame.
Professor Peta Sanderson, Director of the
University's SA program explains, “The
opportunities for Fremantle staff and
students which follow from this
relationship are many. Fremantle students
Professor Peta Sanderson, Associate Professor Sonja Bogunovich and Associate Professor Misiewicz.
have the chance to study a unit taught by
the visiting academic while their learning
experiences are further enriched by the
diversity of students who sit alongside
them in class.
"We greatly value the relationship with
Mendoza and while there are many
tangible and intangible benefits to staff
and students of business in Fremantle, it is
simply a sheer pleasure and privilege to
work on a range of aspects of the SA
program with visiting academics from
Notre Dame.”
This year, Associate Professor Kevin
Misiewicz, PhD, CPA accompanied the
students. Associate Professor Misiewicz'
specialties cover financial accounting
fundamentals, tax accounting, non-profit
organisations, and ethics at the
undergraduate and graduate levels.
In addition to teaching in the School,
Associate Professor Misiewicz also
accompanied the SA students on a five-
day fieldtrip to Singapore as part of the
unit Business in Asia and on the six-day
cultural immersion in the west Kimberley.
The Kimberley trip forms part of the class
in Australian History and Society which
most SA students take while in Australia.
15
I COLLEGE NEWS
Associate Professor Misiewicz reflects
on his time at Notre Dame:
It has been a professional and personal
privilege to be a part of the Notre Dame
learning community for this semester. The
only tough aspect has been getting to know
so many amazing people who my wife and
I will have to leave at the end of November.
[I refrain from naming individuals because
there are so many to thank!]
The universities where I have taught in the
US were formed in the 1800s so they are
at different stages than Notre Dame which
is still carving out its role in higher
education in Western Australia. It is
exciting to be a part of a pilgrim people
living a call to build a new voice for
learning, for wisdom, for grace.
Most of my students in BS100 Accounting
have displayed a deep desire for learning
that I have enjoyed. All of them have been
friendly and respectful. (I am not used to
people saying ‘Cheers’ when I am giving
them their exam to take!) I typically teach
full-time students who live on campus.
Commuting and outside jobs place unusual
barriers to learning for Notre Dame students
that they somehow persevere to overcome.
(For example, I have never heard before "I
forgot the assignment on the train.")
I return to the US with a renewed vigour
for teaching and learning. Plus, I hope to
pursue a couple of research projects with
the Notre Dame faculty.
I pray that the Notre Dame community
continues to find new yet faithful ways of
bringing the message of Jesus to Australia
and to those who share this region of the
earth with you.
You have been a channel of grace and
hope for my wife and myself.
Thank you! Cheers!
16 I COLLEGE NEWS
EDUCATION
Annual Appeal supports
new Education facilities
Equipment and special technology
for the new School of Education
building in Fremantle and the
recently acquired academic building
in Sydney were the focus of the
Annual Appeal in 2008 and will be
again in 2009 and possibly 2010.
While the University has received Federal
funding for the capital works of both
projects, the fitting out and equipping of
the buildings can only be done to the
desired high standard through the
generosity of the Notre Dame community.
The projects, due to get underway in 2009,
were given a great start in 2008. A record
number of people supported the Annual
Appeal which has been proven to be an
excellent way of raising funds for Notre
Dame’s projects. The University also sees
the annual initiative as an important means
of communicating with its Community and
raising awareness of current University
priorities and developments.
The University is grateful for all the donors,
on-going and new, who by their generous
support show such faith in what Notre
Dame is trying to achieve.
Master of Religious Education offered nationally
Two unique postgraduate courses in Religious Education which can be
completed anywhere in the country are now offered by Notre Dame.
The Graduate Certificate and Masters of Certificate, students complete one theology
Religious Education courses provide a and three Religious Education units.
cohesive, specialised study for those wishing “Some students from Sydney and Brisbane
to develop their Religious Education skills have also travelled to Fremantle to
and qualifications. complete one or two units in the intensive
Both these courses are offered in external mode during school holidays.”
mode with students from New South Vice Chancellor’s medallist and Masters
Wales (NSW) and Queensland having of Religious Education graduate, Robert
completed the course. Haddad, completed the course externally
Associate Dean of the School of Education, from NSW.
Fremantle, Associate Professor Maureen “The course is set out so it is very easy for
Mears, said the structure of the degree is students like me, who work full time, to
suitable to anybody wanting to study in a complete it to get the proper qualification
specific field of Religious Education. for teaching Religious Education.
“Both of these degrees allow students “I always felt in the loop with what was
maximum freedom through a wide choice of going on with the course and, despite
electives, while at the same time, ensuring being on the opposite side of the country,
that relevant core material is covered. my lecturers were always helpful, accessible
“The degree allows students to study six and very approachable,” said Mr Haddad.
units in Religious Education and two For more information on these courses,
theology units; however this can be please contact Associate Professor
negotiated according to students’ Maureen Mears on (08) 9433 0166 or
individual needs. With the Graduate mmears@nd.edu.au .
 17

I COLLEGE NEWS
Proposed Teacher Education Building, Fremantle Campus.

Progress for new education buildings

In Fremantle, subject to Council approval, the University is planning to commence construction of a new education
building on a vacant site on Cliff Street in the West End of Fremantle. This will be the second new building on the
Fremantle Campus and will occupy and re-invigorate an important location on Cliff Street, diagonally opposite the
Western Australia Museum - Maritime.
The site was originally the location of the Pier Hotel, which together with the original Fremantle Post Office on the opposite corner,
formed a hub of city activity in the 19th and early 20th century.
The building designed by the University’s long-standing architects, Marcus Collins Architects, will be a
further beautiful and functional addition to this very special part of Fremantle. It will provide an
auditorium to seat over 350, five large lecture rooms, and a large computer teaching room, in a
contemporary limestone building mirroring the limestone museum opposite.
The project has been funded by a combination of Federal and State Governments, private benefactors,
and the University. It will be ready for use by February, 2010.
Development for the Sydney School of Education’s new facility is moving ahead with soon
to be refurbished Canavan Hall, named after Brother Kelvin Canavan fms AM, a Notre
Dame Governor, and Executive Director of Schools, Catholic Education Office, Sydney.
Next on the University building program is the refurbishment of the building currently known as Pioneer
House. The six storey, heritage art deco building which was formerly a warehouse and shops, has a
large presence on Broadway, Chippendale. The recycling for educational use will provide an important
and highly visible gateway to Notre Dame’s Broadway site. It will provide three 170 plus seat lecture
theatres, large lecture rooms, seminar rooms, and academic offices to accommodate the School of
Brother Kelvin Canavan fms AM Education and School of Arts and Sciences staff.
18 I COLLEGE NEWS
Health
Sciences
Staff’s health and fitness a focus for new program
In conjunction with the academic units offered to students, the University’s
new Institute for Health and Rehabilitation Research on the Fremantle
Campus operated a pilot staff health and fitness program during 2008.
Free and open to all staff, the program ran
each working day, between the hours of
12.00pm and 2.00pm, throughout
Semester 2. It was initially set up to cater
for the practicum needs of the Exercise
and Sports Science students in their final
year. It proved, however, to be much more
than an academic requirement, providing a
popular health and fitness initiative for the
80 staff who participated.
Senior lecturer in Health Sciences and
research manager, Dr Fiona Naumann
explains:
“Some staff had never been to a gym
before and lacked the confidence to try it.
The supportive and collegial nature of the
program broke the ice for many first timers.
Others who had a bad experience at a
commercial gym said they were pleasantly
surprised to regain their confidence.
“Other benefits from participating in the
program included overcoming the challenge
of establishing a regular exercise routine.
This program provided them with an
opportunity to start addressing many of
their health issues.
“We offered personal training, group
fitness sessions which incorporated cardio,
core stability, boxing circuit, cycle and yoga.”
Comments from the participants were that
they enjoyed participating in the classes and
getting to know the other staff members.
They also enjoyed watching the students
grow in confidence across the semester.
The instructors were described as
encouraging, supportive and professional.
With such positive feedback from staff the
Vice Chancellor has agreed to the initiative
being continued in 2009.
Institute launches
research projects
The newly opened Institute for
Health and Rehabilitation Research,
housed in the University’s new
Health Sciences Research and
Education Building, has launched
two research projects which focus
on chronic lower back pain in adults
and recovery from breast cancer.
Launched in May this year, the Institute
aims to provide students within the health
professions with the necessary investigative
skills for clinical innovation and life-long
service to the Western Australian
community, and to influence health policy
and improve practice.
Associate Professor Ben Wand is the
driving force behind the back pain study. It
builds on his research currently underway
within the physiotherapy program
investigating the role of brain processes in
chronic pain. Evidence is mounting that
complex, long standing pain problems are
associated with considerable cortical
(brain) reorganisation and degeneration.
This new project aims to examine whether
there are functional benefits for patients
who undergo a cortical retraining program.
“I am hopeful this approach will be useful
in the management of chronic low back
pain and lead to more effective outcomes
for patients,” Dr Wand said. “This project
will be important in guiding new
approaches to clinical practice.”
The study on breast cancer recovery will
examine the effects of combined exercise
and counselling on breast cancer patients
who have completed their treatment.
Dr Fiona Naumann, Exercise Physiologist
is teaming with Professor Martin Philpott,
coordinator of Counselling, in running
the project.
“We hope to provide these women with
an answer to ‘What now?’ that arises once
regular treatment ends,” emphasises Dr
Naumann. Participants exercise under the
guidance of postgraduate exercise science
students. The clinical training gained by
the students will contribute to the 500
hours required for accreditation as an
Exercise Physiologist, the newest of allied
health professions. Dr Naumann’s expertise
in this field has also just been recognised
in the international arena. She has been
invited as an Associate Investigator on a
proposed Australia and New Zealand
exercise and breast cancer survivorship trial.
The specially equipped Exercise Rehabilitation
Laboratory will be a key site for this trial.
These projects have been supported from
a special purpose grant to the Institute
by the Fogarty Foundation and the
Prendiville family.

Law
Dean of the School of Law, Sydney, Gerard Ryan with members of the Notre Dame Student Law Society (Sydney).
2008 sees outstanding achievements for
Fremantle law students
Law students from the Fremantle Campus competed successfully in both
intrastate and national competitions during 2008.
The successful year was kicked off by
first prize in Western Australia’s Tri
Law Competition. This was followed by
students, Justin Geoghegan, Pia Castelli,
Natasja Pollemans and Emma Douglas
success at the International Maritime
Law Arbitration Moot.
The prestigious competition saw teams
from Australia, America, Indonesia,
New Zealand, Malaysia and China
compete before panels of professional
arbitrators and maritime lawyers.
The Notre Dame team were just beaten in
the grand final by The University of
Queensland. His Honour Justice Robert
French said when presenting the award for
runner-up, “There was simply ‘a grain of
sand’ separating two excellent teams!”
Justin Geoghegan was awarded the
Jaya Prakesh Award for the best speaker
in the finals.
Students also excelled against the larger
law schools at the Australian Law Schools
Association (ALSA) national competitions.
Emily Keys and Jason Myers made it to the
grand final of the Negotiation Competition
and Emma Cullen made it to the semi
finals of Witness Examination and was just
beaten by the eventual winner.
To finish off the year, graduating student,
Belinda McPhee, was the recipient of the
Magistrates' Society of Western Australia
Geoff Adjuk Memorial Prize for 2008.
The prize is awarded to a law student who
has demonstrated a commitment to social
justice and/or community service by providing
assistance to a disadvantaged group in
the community. The award recognises the
significant voluntary contribution the
student has provided over and above the
student's required study commitments.
Dean of the School of Law, Associate
Professor Jane Power, reflected on the
year’s achievements:
“The outstanding achievements of the Law
School in 2008 are a continuing testament
to the high calibre of students and
academic staff within the School. For a
Law School with such a comparatively
small population these successes are
outstanding. Each of these achievements
has involved extra curricula work in an
already demanding degree, and highlights
the dedication, determination and talent
of our students. I am very proud of their
individual and team efforts.”
Justice Robert French (now Chief Justice) with
law students, Pia Castelli, Justin Geoghegan,
Emma Douglas and Natasja Pollemans.
19
I COLLEGE NEWS
Students launch first
Law Society
Students from Sydney’s School
of Law launched their
association this semester – the
Notre Dame Student Law Society
(NDSLS). More than 70 law
students, law staff and other
members of the legal profession
were invited to the official
launch in September. The event
included speeches from NDSLS
president, Tom Griffin, Dean of
Law, Professor Gerard Ryan and
special guest speaker, Colonel
Even Carlin, an International and
Military law expert.
Colonel Carlin presented a first-hand
account of the legal issues and
consequences of being in combat
zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan,
together with peacekeeping operations
in the Solomon Islands and in East Timor.
The evening was also an opportunity
for the students to launch their
newsletter The Final Verdict and
the NDSLS official website,
www.ndstms.com.au , which is now
up and running.
NDSLS committee member, Stephanie
Polson, said the event was a huge
success and the committee is looking
forward to the future and what it can
achieve as student representatives.
“We had such a great turn out to the
event and I think everyone is very
excited about what might happen in
the next year. Now that the Society has
been officially launched, we hope to
start 2009 continuing our relationships
with all involved, supporting the law
students and getting out into the
wider community,” said Ms Polson.
20 I COLLEGE NEWS

Medicine

Advanced ultrasound skills for medicine students

Medicine students from the Sydney Campus will be the first in the country
to learn advanced ultrasound skills in their undergraduate training.
Professor Julie Quinlivan with Mr Harry van Dyk.
This has largely been made possible by the
donation of a iU22 ultrasound system by
leading health and well-being company,
Philips Electronics Australia.
The CEO of Philips Electronics Australia,
Harry van Dyk, said the company is very
proud to support Notre Dame’s cutting-edge
education initiatives in the area of medicine.
“Our company is dedicated to improving
the lives of others through timely health
care innovations, so it is critical that we
ensure Australia’s young clinicians are
trained to their utmost on the latest
technologies,” said Mr van Dyk.
Executive Dean of Medicine, Professor Julie
Quinlivan said a major feature of the
course is to provide exposure to surgical
anatomy and medical imaging at the
highest level.
“We had heard the criticisms that medical
graduates did not know enough anatomy
and consequently could not interpret
medical imaging from ultrasounds.
“We already have a dissection based
anatomy program with a strong focus on
surgical anatomy, but are now taking the
next step and ensuring that all our
graduates can also undertake ultrasound
imaging as a part of the routine clinical
assessment,” said Professor Quinlivan.
A Chair in Radiology has been appointed
in conjunction with St Vincent’s Hospital to
coordinate the new imaging program and
medical imaging has already been
integrated into the first and second year
anatomy and pathology programs.
Traditionally, ultrasound training is a
postgraduate medical skill; however, in the
last decade ultrasounds have been used
increasingly in examining patients and
obtaining excellent diagnostic results.
“It is extremely important for students to
start practising medicine with the
knowledge of how to use an ultrasound
machine,” said Professor Quinlivan.
A ceremony was held to thank Philips
Electronics Australia for their generous
donation and to launch the new imaging
training room and machine.

New Pre-Medicine Certificate

The University introduced the Pre-Medicine Certificate in
Western Australia (WA) this year.
Students take four Pre-Medicine units in addition to their primary degree.
The units cover areas such as biomedical science, Aboriginal studies,
behavioural science, communications, and the history of medicine.
It is designed to assist undergraduate students in their preparation
for their application into the graduate entry medicine course.
Fremantle Provost, Professor Mark McKenna, said the certificate
provides a new opportunity for students seeking a path to medicine.
“The new certificate is designed to provide a pathway for WA school
leavers to the Notre Dame graduate entry medical course. The
overarching aim is to produce medical graduates who will be good
doctors, and who will work in WA,” said Professor McKenna.
There is no prescribed primary degree for the students taking the
medicine course. It is designed to be entered from many
backgrounds. Current students have come with various
undergraduate degrees such as; arts, health sciences, law,
counselling and nursing.
Kia Alizadeh, President of the the Medical Student Association, discussing the certificate
with students.

Nursing
Parkinson’s sufferer inspires new course
A letter to Pope Benedict XVI from a Parkinson’s sufferer was the initial
inspiration for a new nursing course on the Sydney Campus.
The School of Nursing will start a Post-
Graduate Certificate in Neuro-degenerative
Disorders in 2009 - dedicated to Pope
John Paul II, who had Parkinson’s disease.
The idea started when 68 year old
Parkinson’s suffer and Tamworth resident,
Ben Cross, sent a letter to the Vatican
requesting every Catholic in the world to
make a small donation to Parkinson’s
research - in memory of Pope John Paul II.
Mr Cross received a response from the
Diocese of Armidale and was referred to
the local parish. Not being Catholic he
decided to send the letter to His Eminence,
Cardinal George Pell via the office of
Parkinson’s New South Wales (NSW).
(Parkinson's NSW Incorporated is a non-
profit, community-based organisation
established in 1979 to provide
information, counselling and support to
people living with Parkinson’s disease.)
From there a meeting was arranged with the
Chief Executive Officer of the organisation,
Miriam Dixon, and Cardinal Pell to discuss
how best to help.
Cardinal Pell suggested that Notre Dame
might wish to investigate the possibility of
a new Neuro-degenerative Disorder course,
specifically dealing with Parkinson’s disease.
Cardinal Pell said he was delighted to see
this specialist post-graduate course launched.
“It is great news that Notre Dame has
been able to respond so positively to the
suggestions of Parkinson’s NSW. Enormous
suffering is caused by neuro-degenerative
diseases, and Pope John Paul II inspired the
world by the way he continued to carry out
his duties while suffering from Parkinson’s.
“So I congratulate Notre Dame and
Parkinson’s NSW on this initiative, which I
hope will contribute significantly to
building up the specialist skills increasingly
in demand to assist sufferers of neuro-
degenerative diseases in our community,”
said Cardinal Pell.
The post-graduate course will start next
year and will run as a combination of on-
campus intensive workshops and on-line
tuition. The course is a joint project of the
Notre Dame Schools of Nursing in Sydney
and Fremantle and aims to attract
enrolments across a number of states.
Executive Dean of Nursing, Professor
Margot Kearns, commented, “This is a
wonderful example of how cooperation
and a collaborative approach between the
education sector and the industry
stakeholders can address the needs of skill
shortages in a specialist area.”
21
I COLLEGE NEWS
Oration
Professor Linda Worrall-Carter,
the Director of St Vincent’s/
Australian Catholic University
National Centre for Nursing Research
delivered the Fremantle School of
Nursing’s inaugural Oration titled:
Clinical partnerships in nursing -
The future of nursing research.
Professor Worrall-Carter has had extensive
experience in the area of nursing research
and particularly on creating research and
clinical partnerships for both health services
and universities nationally and internationally.
The Oration was attended by key
stakeholders in nursing and nursing
research at both national and State level.
Professor Selma Alliex, Dean of the School
of Nursing, Fremantle, was very pleased
with the opportunity to host the Oration.
“To have a speaker of such high calibre as
Professor Worrall-Carter has set a great
precedent for future orations. We were
delighted to partner with the Office of the
Chief Nursing Officer, Department of
Health and St John of God Healthcare in
hosting this Oration. It is intended that the
Oration will be an annual event and will be
held on the 7 October each year to
commemorate the St John of God
Foundation Day.”
At the Oration
Adjunct Associate Professor Di Twigg; Dean of Nursing,
Fremantle, Professor Selma Alliex; Professor Linda
Worrall-Carter; Chancellor, Dr Michael Quinlan;
Director of Nursing SJOG (Subiaco), Ms Chris Hanna-Far
and Director of Nursing SJOG Healthcare, Associate
Professor Kate Birrell-Group.
22 I COLLEGE NEWS

PHILOSOPHY
& THEOLOGY
World renowned philosophers gather at Notre Dame
Sydney’s School of Philosophy and Theology hosted a large international philosophy conference in June this year
entitled: Truth and Faith in Ethics.
The event had one of the most outstanding line-ups of
international ethicists ever to gather in Australia.
Over three days more than three hundred people came to Notre
Dame to hear world renowned philosophers address a range of
topics concerning truth and faith in ethics.
Professors John Finnis (Oxford), Nancy Sherman (Georgetown),
Robert George (Princeton), John Haldane (St Andrews), Julia Annas
(Arizona), Raimond Gaita (London and ACU), Anthony O’Hear
(Buckingham) and Jude Dougherty (Catholic University of America)
joined speakers from Notre Dame and other Australian universities.
Some subjects dealt with by the philosophers were: moral truth
and human rights; human dignity and respect; virtue and natural
law; military ethics and political ethics.
On the first evening of the conference, Archbishop of Sydney,
Cardinal George Pell, hosted an Opening Reception. Professor
Robert George, one of the most influential voices in political and
ethical thought in the USA today, was the guest speaker.
On the second evening Professor John Haldane and Professor
Raimond Gaita, debated, Is God necessary for morality? in front of
a sell-out crowd of 800 at the Seymour Centre, Chippendale.
The event was chaired by Australian broadcaster, writer and social
commentator, Mr Phillip Adams and broadcast by Radio National’s
Late Night Live.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dean of Philosophy and Theology on the
Sydney Campus and event coordinator, Professor Hayden Ramsay
commented, “The debate attracted an enormous Sydney audience.
The atmosphere was terrific and the quality of discussion superb.
We felt sorry for those who were turned away due to the sell out.”
Another highlight of the Conference included a panel where
Notre Dame students were given the ‘floor’ to question 12 of the
speakers on public and personal morality.
“I wanted to bring the very best to Sydney. What astonished me
were the numerous ‘private’ sessions in which US and UK thinkers
spent time voluntarily with our students.
“The whole occasion was an enormous team effort from Notre
Dame, Sydney,” said Professor Ramsay.

The Panel
Top row: Professors Raimond Gaita, Christopher Cordner, John Haldane, Samantha Lynch and Julia Annas.
Bottom row: Most Rev Professor Anthony Fisher OP, Professors Robert George, Hayden Ramsay, Nancy Sherman and Dr John Lamont.

Campus ministry
Theology on Tap attracts large following
A group of students from Sydney have had an exciting and successful year with their monthly forum –
Theology on Tap (TOT)
The TOT series started in August 2007,
providing an opportunity for the young
people of Sydney to meet and discuss
Catholic issues in an informal atmosphere.
Since then it has grown in popularity
attracting over 500 people to each session
Notre Dame law student, Patrick Langrell,
initiated the program through Notre
Dame’s St Thomas More Society.
“I decided to start it after I heard some
audio from a Theology on Tap in Denver,
Colorado. I heard Archbishop Chaput give
an awesome talk on the importance of not
leading a double life with our Catholic
faith and it just sounded like so much fun.
“All I could hear in the background was
what sounded like hundreds of young
people eating and drinking, while laughing
and listening to the archbishop.
Professor Hayden Ramsay (centre) with the Theology on Tap crew.
“It was just such a fun and relaxed
environment and seemed to attract so
many young people, and it made me want
to fly over to Denver just to get along to
one, but I instead thought: ‘Hey, why not
start one over here in Sydney?’
Every first Monday of the month the group
gather at PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub in
Parramatta for the talks.
Throughout the year they have had guest
speakers such as Cardinal George Pell,
Archbishop Charles Chaput from Colorado,
who initiated TOT in Denver and Most Rev
Anthony Fisher OP, Auxiliary Bishop of
Sydney and coordinator of WYD08.
One memorable event included a
discussion with Notre Dame Deputy Vice
Chancellor and Dean of Philosophy and
Theology, Professor Hayden Ramsay.
23
I UNIVERSITY NEWS
He spoke on a number of ethical matters,
including the ‘seven deadly sins’.
“It was one of the largest audiences of
young people I have spoken to and they
listened in complete silence. The event is
an enormous credit to the students and to
all who take part,” said Professor Ramsay.
Another eventful evening saw Channel
Nine’s 60 Minutes crew come and film a
feature about TOT during World Youth
Day. This session attracted over 950
Sydney locals and pilgrims who came to
listen to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
discuss Catholics living double lives.
“Theology on Tap is a fun way for young
people to reconnect with the Church. All
we hope is that people leave more inspired
to witness their faith in every aspect of
their lives,” said Mr Langrell.
24 I UNIVERSITY NEWS

Student Life
Record number compete at the 2008 Australian University Games
Sports Officer Fremantle Campus, Jaimee Montgomery, reports...
2008 saw a record number of students from both the Fremantle and Sydney campuses compete in the annual
Australian University Games (AUG).
This year’s games were held in Melbourne and attracted over
7,000 participants from universities all over Australia, including
administrators, volunteers, organisers, team managers, university
managers, cheers squads and mascots!
In order to qualify, the teams competed in either the Tertiary
Sports WA or the East Coast Challenge during Semester 1.
The AUG is the largest and most competitive sports event on the
Australian tertiary institutions’ sporting calendar.
Through fundraising and sponsorship Fremantle and Sydney
students were able to send three mixed netball teams, two rugby
7s teams, women’s basketball, mixed touch football team, men’s
tennis and individual athletes.
They started in fine style and were undefeated in their pool
matches. They suffered a close loss to eventual winners, Flinders
University in their semi final, before finishing in style to win bronze
by accounting for the University of South Australia by 12 goals.
With only one broken nose and a sprained ankle, through playing
on the courts, the week ended with all teams on high spirits and
motivated to meet their competitors on the fields in 2009 on the
Gold Coast. The AUG is not only a great chance to meet new
friends and become closer to pre-existing ones it enhances the
overall university experience for students. It creates wonderful
memories outside the lecture rooms, memories that are full of
laughs, fun times and sport.

The week kicked off with all participating staff and students
attending the opening ceremony followed by the social program
themed ’Team Colours ‘. This was a great chance for our
competitors to ‘scope out’ the competition for the week ahead.
Monday was the first day of competition and a chance for
Fremantle and Sydney students to become acquainted with
Melbourne and each other when that night they gathered at a
local restaurant for a team dinner. Despite the anchovies on the
pizza, the night was a blast with most students leaving with a full
belly and more friends than they walked in with at the start of the
night! With all 85 students living in the same apartment block the
atmosphere of team bonding and encouragement was
overwhelming. By the end of the week the sidelines were filled
with the encouraging chants of support for fellow Notre Dame
students. No matter what campus the team was from the cheers
came loud and clear. Sydney rugby team.

One of the highlights from the week was the performance of the
Fremantle mixed touch rugby team. The team was so dominant in
their pool matches, they were asked by other teams to ‘let them
score at least one try during the game’. They were undefeated in
the lead up to the final against the other undefeated side, The
University of Queensland. When the sides met in the pool matches
it finished with a draw, so the tension was running high and the
butterflies were going wild. The game was played at a high
intensity throughout the whole match. If the crowd was not
screaming, they were speechless with anticipation. With Notre
Dame having no female substitutes and missing one of the best
players the final score came down to 7/4 with Notre Dame
winning the silver medal. It was a great effort by all involved.
Another highlight came in the form of Sydney’s mixed netball
team. Returning for their second tilt at a mixed netball medal,
after competing in the 2007 Games on the Gold Coast, the team Fremantle mixed touch football team.
travelled to Melbourne ready to go into battle on the netball courts.

Social Justice students focus on homelessness and poverty
In July, Fremantle Social Justice
students took part in a clothes drive
to assist homeless people in the
Fremantle community.
The students had been looking for a
worthy local project that they could
support and the annual Winter Appeal,
coordinated by the St Vincent de Paul
Society, fitted the criteria they were
looking for.
“The idea of supporting the homeless
came when we left an event recently and
saw a man lying down on the footpath. It
just hit us how close the situation really
was to us. You hear it on the news all the
time that the number of homeless people
is rising and there it was right in front of
us,” said Arts student, Sejla Pervis.
Law and Arts student, Sarah Crute, who
made the group aware of the Winter
Appeal, is a volunteer with St Vincent de
Paul. St Vincent’s is the largest charitable
organisation in Western Australia. Each
year they hold a winter appeal, with this
year’s theme being ‘This time it’s personal’.
For three weeks, staff and students were
encouraged to contribute clothing and
shoes to assist the drive.
“The response was fantastic. Just looking
at how full the boxes were after only three
weeks was truly amazing!” said Miss Pervis.
“Something like a warm jumper can make
a big difference to someone’s life.
“It’s not necessarily about giving money or
perhaps travelling overseas and
volunteering, it can be as simple as
supporting an organisation like St Vincent’s
that does such great work,” said Miss Pervis.
The national initiative, Anti-Poverty Week
held from 13 October until 17 October,
gave students another great opportunity to
profile the issues of homelessness and
poverty. They hosted a variety of activities
including a group ‘Sleep out’ and a
presentation by the University’s Dean of
Medicine (Fremantle), Professor Gavin
Frost, on The Economics of Homelessness
to highlight the issues associated with
being homeless in Australia.
Professor Frost presented as part of the
University’s Conversations on Tap series
which is held four times a year. In addition
to Professor Frost, Mr Wyn Williams, Chief
Executive Officer , June O’Connor Centre
(Inc) and School of Business Professor
David Gilchrist also presented.
Professor Gilchrist addressed homelessness
versus affordable housing, covering issues
such as the increasing cost of living, rising
rents, the need for emergency and crisis
accommodation, mental health and access
available for mental health care and how this
affects pensioners, youth, aged, unemployed
people and people released from prison.
“In terms of affordable housing, there are
currently 17,500 people on the housing
25
I UNIVERSITY NEWS
waiting list for the Department of Housing
and Works in Western Australia and those
people are spread right through our
regions, right through rural Western
Australia and the metropolitan area,” said
Professor Gilchrist.
Mr Williams covered the area of mental
illness in relation to homelessness. He spoke
about the June O’Connor Centre which is
a ‘drop in centre’ with currently four
locations. The Centre began as a ‘drop in
centre’ for people with mental illness with
around 400 members 10 years ago.
“We now have over 2300 registered
members; a number of those members are
living on the streets,” said Mr Williams.
Dr Frost spoke about the economics side
of homelessness and how this relates to
the health care system.
“How many homeless people are there in
Australia?” began Dr Frost. “Firstly, no
one knows.”
“Every night in Australia 725 people who
seek urgent emergency accommodation
are turned away,” said Dr Frost.
Throughout the week, local community
businesses such as Freo Street Doctor,
Mobile Health Clinic; St Pat’s Gimme
Shelter; Edmund Rice Centre; The Big Issue
and the Australian Red Cross promoted
their work to staff and students.
26 I UNIVERSITY NEWS

Alumni &
Development
Manager of Alumni and Development, Ms Sarah Linton reports…

Physiotherapy 2nd annual alumni function

Fairweathers Bar
Thursday 28 August 2008
Our fourth year physiotherapy students
had an opportunity to meet and network
with our physiotherapy graduates at the
2nd annual alumni function which added
much to the social mix. Past graduates gave
the fourth years some handy tips and shared
their experiences of entering the workforce.
Special guests included Mr Peter Owens from
MoveWell Physiotherapy and Mr Cameron
Tweedie from LifeCare who generously
sponsored the event and contributed to
the Year 4 professional seminar held
during the day.
Associate Dean of Health Sciences and Head
of Physiotherapy, Professor Peter Hamer,
welcomed the students, alumni and special
guests and acknowledged the support and
generosity of Notre Dame alumni in
contributing to University initiatives and
staying connected with their university.
We hope that the wonderful turn out of
students (both present and past) and staff
members will be indicative of the
popularity of this function in the future.
Thank You
The continued support of our
donors helps to secure the future of
the University and as the economic
environment becomes more
challenging, philanthropy is
even more vital.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to
everyone who has supported us in 2008.
Your gifts directly support the continuation
of the University’s mission across all campuses.

1 2

3 4

1. Kira Flanagan (2008), Hannah Camp (2008), Professor Helen Parker, Emma Riley (2008), Associate Professor Geoff Meyer (UWA).
2. Peter Harvey (2006) and Jonathon Courtis (2006). • 3. Brodie McKenzie (2007) and Stephen Ranford (2006).
4. Back row: Caitlin Gollow (2008), Kate Drew (2008) Front row: Lecturer, Claire Bourgoin; Clinical Education Liaison Manager, Susan Edgar; baby Alice Travlos and Joanne Connaughton.

Making a Bequest opportunities to direct a bequest to a specific purpose, which may

A bequest to the University, whether it supports,
research, scholarships or a University project, is a gift
to our community.
A bequest can be designated for the benefit of the University in
general, providing discretionary funds that the University can then
allocate to high priority areas and needs. There are also
include research, academic opportunities, building development,
prizes and scholarships.
If you have already considered the needs of your family in your Will
and now would like to consider your community, we can help you
plan a bequest to the University that reflects your wishes. For more
information please contact Ms Sarah Linton on +61 8 9433 0614 or
email: slinton@nd.edu.au.

John Pica
Bachelor of Applied Science/
Bachelor of Arts 2005
Initially I studied a Bachelor of Applied
Science majoring in Physical Education but
decided that it would broaden my horizons
if I also studied Arts. I therefore also
completed a Bachelor of Arts with a major
in Politics and a minor in History.
After graduating and 'finally getting my
act together', my first job was with UWA
Sports, where I was hired as the Assistant
Sport Manager and then Sports Manager
of the 2005 Indian Rim Asian University
Games. The international event was a
great success, having many countries
bordering the Indian ocean rim come to
Perth to compete in 14 different sports.
After the games I travelled to South Africa
where I worked and holidayed for four
months. When I returned to Perth I was
offered a position (thanks to the help of
Julie Hewson, my Notre Dame Intern
Practicum lecturer and now dear friend) at
Body Active Consultancy (BAC). I am now
an AAESS accredited Exercise Physiologist
with BAC. I work on a Monday to Friday
fly-in-fly-out roster providing customised
work force health management programs
to mining sites all over Australia.
In 2007 I decided to further diversify my
interests and I bought into a private business
which I am now developing. In amongst all
of this busy life story, I found time a few
weeks ago to propose and am now engaged
to my beautiful fiancée, Marissa Lee.
We are planning a wedding for next year.
Other than that, life is great and I am
living it to the full.
Tell us your story
One aim of the University is to maintain lifelong relationships
with our alumni. We’re always happy to hear from you.
Send us your story and if you have ideas or suggestions for how we can
improve the alumni experience let us know!
Please get in touch with us at alumni@nd.edu.au or call +61 8 9433 0614
Renee Garner
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) 2005
I have always had a keen interest in
environmental issues and in particular
climate change.
So it is appropriate that as a solicitor at
Freehills I have become a member of the
firm’s National Climate Change Group and
my work here has included advising on a
number of deals with environmental
implications such as AGL’s project financing
of Hallett Wind Farm and ERM Power’s
Stage 2 development of the Braemar gas-
fired power station in Queensland.
I have tried to profile this important global
issue by publishing a number of articles:
my honours thesis and by co-authoring the
first Australian text book on the legal and
policy aspects of climate change at the
local, state and national level in Australia -
Global Climate Change: Australian Law
and Policy. These experiences have given
me the opportunity to combine my legal
and commercial background with my
passion and enthusiasm for this emerging
area of law.
I am currently preparing to speak at the
International Conference on Climate
Change to be held at the Institute of
Environment Education and Research,
Pune, India, in January 2009.
I believe climate change is not just an
environmental issue, it’s a corporate issue.
In some form or another climate change
will affect everyone, and it’s those
businesses taking action now that will truly
benefit from the current and imminent
climate change laws and policies.
27
I ALUMNI PROFILES
Fr Stephen Giles MHM
Master of Arts (Theological Studies) 2004
Sometime in 2001, I attended a Clergy
Seminar in Safety Bay, Western Australia
(WA). Fr Tom Ryan SM, a member of the
theology faculty was present and he was
promoting the study of theology at Notre
Dame as an option for ongoing clergy
formation. I returned to my Parish of Moora
(located in WA’s wheatbelt region), and
after some thought, enrolled at Notre Dame.
The study over four semesters was most
satisfying, as of an evening, there is time
in rural WA for systematic reading. In
2004, the Mill Hill Missionary Society, of
which I am a member, appointed me to
South Africa with a view to adult religious
education. There is, however, a shortage of
people with canonical and pontifical
degrees in South Africa, so on the strength
of my Notre Dame MA I was seconded to
the National Seminary in Pretoria – a most
scenic city – to teach theology. In the
meantime, I had enrolled at the
Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West
University to do a Masters in Ethics.
In September 2008, I graduated, and am
the first Roman Catholic Priest in South
Africa to do so through the Faculty of
Theology. Researching in a Calvinist faculty
through ‘Potch’, as it is known colloquially,
was a mutually enriching ecumenical
venture, and one that I and the faculty
continue to enjoy through my doctoral
studies in Christian ethics.
Update you details
Help us to keep in touch with
you! Please keep us informed
of any changes to your contact
details by completing the
Update Form at:
www.nd.edu.au/alumni/
register.shtml
 The University of Notre Dame Australia was established by an Act
of the Parliament of Western Australia, on 21 December, 1989, and
by a Canonical Statute of the Archdiocese of Perth on 2 July, 1991.

Its founding partner was the University of Notre Dame in the

United States.

The objects of The University of Notre Dame Australia specified

in its Act of Parliament are:

a) The provision of university education within a context of

Catholic faith and values and

b) The provision of an excellent standard of –

i) teaching, scholarship and research.
ii) training for the professions and
iii) pastoral care for its students.

The University has campuses in Fremantle and Broome in Western

Australia, and in Sydney, New South Wales.

InPrincipio
Produced by: Public Relations & Communications Office, The University of Notre Dame Australia
Editorial team: Michelle Ebbs and Karen McLean, Fremantle Campus;
Moira Saunders, Sydney Campus and Lyn Quince, Broome Campus.
Contact: 19 Mouat Street (PO Box 1225) Fremantle WA 6959 • Tel: (08) 9433 0610
Fax: (08) 9433 0695 • Email: media@nd.edu.au • www.nd.edu.au
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